


VilAnnthology: The yearning love of the poisonous flower

by Haya_dono



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Drabble Collection, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27468055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haya_dono/pseuds/Haya_dono
Summary: The beautiful queen of Pomefiore is perfect. Unreachable. Distant and collected. Or so it would seem.When the sneaky sharp Trickster Ann Hawthorne comes across his way, Vil Schoenheit realizes this girl has a way to get under his skin as she gives him an infuriating cheeky smile. Of course a villain like him has no reason to relent to this attack. Nevermind Ann just simply finds him amazing.A collection of drabbles featuring Vil/FeMC.
Relationships: Vil Schoenheit/Original Character(s), Vil Schoenheit/Original Female Character(s), Vil Schoenheit/Yuu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	1. New Target

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this!
> 
> This is a series of drabbles, most of them are in chronological order and try to follow the canon of Twisted Wonderland. Some are out of order, as they were written before the final part of the Pomefiore chapter.

The suspicious thick album lay open, a couple of photos on top of the pages. In one the profile of a young girl was visible, her lime green eyes looking at the horizon, unaware of the photograph being taken. Deep wood brown bangs to the right side of her forehead, long locks framed her face and went down to the end of the photograph. A mole under her right eye was the only apparent mark on her face.

The other photo had the same girl, this time holding books, talking to a cat-looking monster which could be mistaken for a familiar. She was wearing a modified version of the uniform; instead of pants, she was wearing a mid thigh pleated skirt and knee-high boots. In this picture, her long hair reaching her lower back was visible.

Next to these photos, in perfectly neat handwriting there were several notes written, as a matter of record.

**BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION**

**Name:** Ann Hawthorne

 **Gender:** Female

 **Age:** Presumed 16

 **Birthday:** TBD

 **Star sign:** TBD

 **Height:** 168cm

 **Eye color:** Lime green

 **Hair color:** Deep wood brown

 **Homeland:** Unknown, referred to be from another world. Needs confirmation.

**PROFESSIONAL STATUS**

**Dorm:** Ramshackle

 **School year:** First

 **Class:** 1A Student

 **Occupation:** Student, Prefect

 **Club:** Horse riding

 **Best subject:** TBD

**FUN FACTS (WIP)**

**Dominant hand:** Right

 **Favorite food:** Suspected to be chocolate

 **Least favorite food:** TBD

 **Dislikes:** TBD

 **Hobby:** TBD

 **Talents:** TBD

One of the students who crashed into the Entrance Ceremony, alongside _Monsieur_ Fuzzball. Despite not being able to perform any kind of magic, the Headmaster has allowed her to stay. Became the prefect of Ramshackle dorm, which consists of _Monsieur_ Fuzzball, three ghosts and her. Said permission was obtained after recovering a magic gem from the Dwarves’ Mines, where she coordinated two Heartslabyul students, _Monsieur_ Heart and Monsieur Spade, as well as _Monsieur_ Fuzzball. Ever since, she has been entrusted to a variety of tasks by the Headmaster, as well as overseeing _Monsieur_ Fuzzball’s education.

Something of note is her involvement in the recent Overblotting cases, starting with _Roi du Rose_ up to _Roi de Fort_. While physically incapable of fighting, has been directing other magicians during their encounters with the Overblotted students. Because of her ability to get others to do as she says, as well as her cunning strategy to defeat _Roi de Fort_ to free her friends from a contract, I have dubbed her Trickster.

Trickster possesses average physical abilities and no magical abilities. Her grades are counted as part of _Monsieur_ Fuzzball’s, and the combined sum is below average. However, the professors seem to comment on _Monsieur_ Fuzzball’s neglectful performance, so Trickster’s can be considered above average. The only apparent weakness of Trickster is flying class, where her skills are similar to _Roi de Fort_ and _Roi de ta Chambre_. However, it seems it is more due to a psychological disposition involving phobias, rather than lacking physical skill. Her phobia is something to be further investigated but will prove to be challenging given her personal secrecy.

Trickster doesn’t reveal much about her homeland, or her past. The only apparent snippets of information come from comparisons between traditions of our world and hers. Said world appears to be similar to ours except for the use of magic, given her rather easy adaptation to our world, magic excluded.

According to other students, Trickster is easy-going and the mediator between _Monsieur_ Heart, _Monsieur_ Spade and _Monsieur_ Fuzzball, with whom she tends to hang out the most. She seems to possess a good heart like _Roi d’Or_ , and favors fair play and hard work, as she didn’t fall prey to _Roi de Fort_ ’s exam scheme. However, several people have commented on her blunt honest remarks, in particular the times when she called _Roi du Rose_ ’s rules idiotic, as well as calling out _Roi du Léon_ ’s lazy disposition and foiled plan on the Magift tournament. It could be that this honesty is part of the reason Trickster can get other people to cooperate, if not for a lowkey charisma she might possess. This would explain why other dorm students like _Monsieur Loup*_ have befriended her.

Trickster has also shown interest in sword fighting, as she has begun training with _Monsieur Épée_ *. Whether it is to become a guardian of _Roi du Dragon_ or for her own curiosity has yet to be developed. As it is uncommon for a non-Diasomnia student to interact with the guards of _Roi du Dragon_ , the depth of this relationship is intriguing and I’ll continue my observations on this.

As of now, it doesn’t seem Trickster has interacted with our Pomefiore students, but I am certain she will do so in the future. Perhaps she will be needed in case _that_ fails. In any case, I am most overjoyed to have found another interesting prey, this time from a different world. _Beauté!_

* * *

“Rook, what is taking you so long?” Vil’s exasperated voice could be heard and in an instant, all photos were neatly put inside the thick album, and it was already hidden from view, with only a couple of papers laid on the desk. “We have a rehearsal coming up.”

 _“Oui, Roi du Poison_. I was caught up in my notes and lost track of time.”

“Your notes? Are you still sticking your nose in other people’s business? We have no time to waste, VDC is coming up.”

“I have found another interesting prey, though this one is different from the others! Unlike _Roi du Léon_ and _Monsieur_ Kills for Thrills, this prey is similar to a fawn. Utterly defenseless! In a physical fight, perhaps the only victory would be against _Roi du Rose_!”

“Are you replacing someone strong but trite as Leona with someone trite and weak? I regret asking this, but how could that even be a challenge?” Vil rolled his eyes, not wanting to prolong this talk, even though he had fears it would be the opposite.

“Fufu, the challenge here is not in the strength but what I cannot easily see. This prey won’t attack, at least not directly, but I have a feeling she has a different way of doing so. The most dangerous prey is not the strongest one, but the sneakiest. Call it an unpolished charisma and wit.”

“You’ve already lost me. I have no interest in someone like that. Now please get going to the Ballroom,” Vil replied annoyed, as he left the room, a sign the discussion was over.

However, Rook gave a one last glance at his hidden album, and smiled to himself. “I wonder how you both will interact.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Jack and Silver haven't been given officially any nickname by Rook as of 11/09. However, judging his logic, the easiest idea is Loup (French for Wolf) for Jack and Épée (French for Sword) for Silver. I will update when more information is available.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	2. Catch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this!

Vil Schoenheit was blinding, Ann Hawthorne would be the first to attest. The man knew how to leave an impression, by blinding them with his beauty and being equally haughty as he called them potatoes, chiding them for supposedly distracting Epel and then ripping Epel to shreds for who knows what. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a reason which would justify his attitude.

“We shouldn’t fight, but you shouldn’t abuse your position just because you are a dorm leader either, Schoenheit-senpai.”

Of course, she wouldn’t stop herself from saying that, but perhaps she should have, seeing that just fueled Grim and Ace to really beat him up. And the result was all of her friends who rose to the challenge, fallen on the ground.

Ann didn’t know which was more impressive, the short time with which he made quick work of her friends, or the fact that he looked infuriatingly graceful as he did so. She wasn’t going to say that aloud, though.

* * *

In theory, Crowley’s idea seemed sound. Everyone living in Ramshackle Dorm preparing for the Vocal & Dance Championship did seem like a way for everyone to get to know each other. However, it was _Crowley_ who mentioned it, so she suspected that part of the reason was so that she would do her thing, that was being an underpaid supervisor _again_. After all, Grim and she had been accidentally in charge of fixing the supposedly extremely _rare_ Overblotting cases. Though a simple dancing contest didn’t seem like enough of a reason to Overblot, perhaps there was something else.

“I absolutely refuse,” Grim quickly replied, and she let out a sigh.

“At least listen to them,” she retorted, but the cat had already made up his mind.

“If this team wins, I’ll donate mine and Rook’s part of the prize money to Ramshackle Dorm.”

Vil’s words made Ann arch an eyebrow. She didn’t know exactly how much it was but, to simply give it away for a free lodging…

“But why?”

Especially in _Night Raven College_ , the place where everyone barely lifed a finger unless it benefited them.

“I don’t have interest in a prize like that.”

There had to be a catch to all of this.

“Okay, I’ll offer you the dorm.”

She would have to figure it out later, though.

* * *

“Everyone in the venue determines who wins the VDC. The audience, performers and staff pick who they deem the most suited to win,” Vil explained, earning some surprised reactions.

“But if the performers get to vote, won’t they just pick themselves? Everyone would think they should be the winner,” Kalim wondered with a shrug.

“There are times when you can’t simply vote for yourself. When you see a performance and realize ‘I can’t beat them’. If it happens, lying to yourself would be pathetic,” Vil said. “That’s why I want to give my all to be able to vote for myself proudly.”

Ann froze as she turned to him. Vil spoke with such a conviction, an unyielding will in every word that made her heart tremble. Determination, passion, conviction and strength. Pride in his abilities, giving himself completely to this goal. She was aware he was very attractive, but in that moment, she couldn’t lift her eyes off him. Was he always like this?

She thought of the supposedly generous money gift in case they won.

Yes, he was.

Didn’t he mention he was taking a walk when he beat the lights out of her friends?

Come to think about it, didn’t he refuse to wish for anything when they were collecting wishes for the Stargazer ceremony? Something about him granting his own wish?

“Then, manager, can you play the song through the audio player?” His voiced snapped her out of her trance.

“Huh?” Ann blinked, startled for a moment. “You mean me?”

Vil looked at her, derisively. “Who else? The Headmaster requested you to be our support. If you want the prize money, you’ll have to earn it.”

Achieve your dream with your hard work, huh.

“…Understood.”

As the music blasted from the speakers, resting her head on her hand, she turned to the dancing young men. Heart beating fast and cheeks tinted pink, she smiled softly in realization as she gazed at him for as long as he danced in the ballroom.

This catch was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Polished

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this chapter and the title idea!  
> This is the first chapter that doesn't go exactly in order, but it is set after the Pomefiore arc.

Ann was sitting under her favorite tree, back against the trunk as she pressed the nail polish brush against her nail, the red bottle of polish carefully placed on top of her notebook. Was it absolutely risky? Yes, it was a terrible idea. However, doing her nails in her dorm, the seemingly logical place, proved to be even worse. With Grim demanding attention and constantly causing ruckus with the other ghosts, her attempts at painting her nails ended with smudges and marks, sometimes even some of Grim’s hair, to her dismay.

Outside, while still at extreme peril, her nails could dry faster with the gentle breeze.

Though, if someone was standing in front of her, their long slender legs just coming into view, her plan would be thwarted.

"What are you doing, Potato?" Vil’s voice gave away the identity of her breeze blocker, causing her to look up to his unamused expression.

"Painting my nails?" she replied, raising her hand so he could see her work, in case the smell of the polish wasn’t obvious.

What she didn’t expect was for him to pull her hand, so he could actually get a good look at it and her extremely messy handiwork, with splotches of red both on the nail and all around her skin.

"I thought you were painting your nails, not your finger," he replied curtly. Oh right, he painted his nails too, and he was fussy to boot.

"It's ok, it'll wash off when I shower," she said, not giving much thought to his judgmental tone and disapproving frown.

"You're wasting product. Wait, have you used a primer already?"

"A what?" She asked, slightly confused. Primers were used… when painting wood and other materials, as far as she knew. Though she wasn’t that knowledgeable in the art of make-up, barely wearing it before arriving at Twisted Wonderland, and not really being able to afford it until recently. She just wanted to paint her nails. It wasn’t rocket science.

However, it seemed it _was_ rocket science, as Vil’s exasperated sigh let her know of his extreme disdain and disapproval of her methods. "Are you really this helpless?" She looked blankly at him. "Come with me."

And by come, he actually meant get up, as he yanked her arm, forcing her to stand up and pick up her things in a hurry, so that he could then drag her all the way to Pomefiore’s dorm.

* * *

"Eh,” Ann didn’t even know how to begin, as she looked around at the elegant ornaments and expensive-looking furniture, something out of league compared to the humble lodging of her dear hobo room. “Why are we in your room?"

"Listen well, I am not going to repeat myself nor allow you to make a disaster on your hands," Vil stated, with that tone of his that he was going to give her a lesson, whether she wanted it or not.

"He totally ignored me..." she mumbled, giving his room a short last look, before turning to her now sudden beauty teacher who was eager to smack her for getting distracted.

"To paint your nails, you need 3 items, a primer, your polish and your top coat. This product you got is no good, please replace it as soon as possible."

"But I like the color...." Ok, it was a cheap polish, but it would do the trick, for _her_.

"I can make you one more impressive than this if you really wanted, the problem is the color doesn't suit you, but stop straying off topic, potato. Give me your hand, I'll erase this hideousness you call nail painting."

Yanking her hands again, he cleaned both with a face wipe before inserting her fingers into a fancy looking cylinder reeking of acetone. The cold liquid touched her skin and her nail, as he scrubbed it slightly before taking her finger out, polish vanished. She arched her eyebrows, she didn’t know they made funky objects like that, her surprise causing Vil to shake his head.

"Remember to treat your hands with cream after removing nail polish and your manicure. Knowing you, you're going to spread the acetone not only on your nail but half of your finger."

‘His hands are really warm and soft...’ she thought to herself, seeing how he wasn’t wearing his gloves, skin against skin. Of course, they would be soft, he would never let his hands be ruined, as evidenced by his perfect manicure, but they were really nice to touch, or be touched by in her case.

"This is a primer, I would have expected you to know this since you are in the Art elective, what am I going to do with you?” Ann bit her tongue. “You put it first as your base coat. Not only will it help the polish stick to your nail, as the oils in your fingers would hinder this normally, but in the case of uneven edges in your nails, the base coat will give them a smooth look. If you are wearing a dark polish, it will prevent your nails from being colored by it."

With elegant and tender movements, unlike his stern voice and possible incoming smacking, Vil applied the primer on her nails, on both hands.

‘He is really skilled, it looks so easy when he does it.’

"Stop gawking at me, I am aware I am blinding you but make an effort to focus on the lesson at hand."

"Yes, yes, Vil-senpai. Teach me your ways." Ann rolled her eyes, but didn’t stifle a dreamy smile.

He huffed, as he sent her a chiding glare. "I wish I could be as cocky as you when you have no idea of what you're doing to your nails. Make sure you use long strokes, from the bottom of the nail to the top. Spread it even."

She was enjoying herself too much in spite of or perhaps because of his cocky scolding.

Vil carefully set the base coat aside and picked a charming long bottle with an exquisite purple liquid inside. He rolled it gently in between his hands as he continued his lesson. "Base coat shouldn't take long to dry, and you shouldn't use more than one coat. After that, you can use your color polish. Make sure to roll it like this before using it, don’t shake it.”

“Why not?”

“You’ll cause bubbles to form in your polish. Are you always this careless with your belongings?”

“Are you always this fussy with your belongings?” she mocked his tone. “For the record, I am careful with my things. I just didn’t think shaking the bottle would be that bad.”

“Who had a mess on her hands fifteen minutes ago?”

“Okay, okay, I got it. No shaking the bottle.”

Vil ignored the playful tone of her words with a stern poker face. However, the touch of his hands against hers remained as gentle as ever. “This part is the longest of the process, make sure to do it well. Depending on the brand and the quality of your polish, you might need more than two coats. Don't be tempted to put one thick coat, it will take longer to dry and you are at a higher risk of ruining your work. Thinner coats are always the way to go."

"When you're spreading the polish, you need to do even strokes. Avoid pressing the brush too hard. Now, we need a second coat, so you have to apply the next one only after the first is perfectly dry. Do not even think of using your finger to check or I'll smack you."

"Why not? If you press it lightly, it should be ok."

He sighed. "But if it's not dry, you will leave your fingerprint or you can smudge the color. You should touch your pinky nails together, gently. If they seem to stick, you obviously need to wait longer. Only do this when you are sure it's dry. Yes, this means you have to be patient, potato."

"Sometimes you test my patience too much, Vil-senpai," she replied dryly with an equally dry and stiff smile at him.

"Bold of you to snark at me like that. The things that are worth most are those that need time, patience, and effort, you should always remember this."

His voice was stern, but there was a hidden warmth beneath his words that brought a gentle, cheeky smile to her face. She could feel his eyes on her for a moment, but when she looked up, he was already looking away.

"Make sure you use a sufficient amount of polish, and get rid of the excess on the rim of the bottle. Apply it in 3 stripes, middle first and then to the sides. Don't paint your cuticle or the skin to the side of your nails. Obviously, this will be more difficult with your left hand, so do your best to practice often."

"Three stripes, thin coats, wait between them. Got it."

At least with him next to her, holding her hands like this, the wait was more than welcome. Of course, she couldn’t say this aloud, but that didn’t stop her face from brightening at this thought.

"You seem quite pleased with yourself, even if I have done most of the legwork."

"You made this class very entertaining, Vil-senpai. Your scathing remarks included." She gave him a bright smile, though he merely huffed at her.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere."

"I'm wounded, thinking I want to butter you up. I'm not Cater, and this tongue of mine is incapable of doing it anyway. You should know already that it's not my style."

"That is one of your good points, potato. At least you are honest with me," he said with a smile, the first time in the entire session. It wasn’t a smirk or a chiding one, but a soft one that made her heart skip a beat.

And of course, she replied with a cheeky laugh.

"But that is too little to be proud of yourself. Next is the top coat.”

"Damn, you like to shoot me down," she mumbled but Vil ignored her as he picked the final polish bottle and rolled it gently between his hands.

"Some say that the top coat isn't always necessary, but why would you compromise on something after all the time you've put into this? The top coat will prevent your nails from chipping, and it helps the polish last longer. Some can even give your nails a finishing look, whether you want them to shine or have a matte look. Similar to the base coat, you only need to apply it once. Again, thin coat, you don't want to overdo it and mess up all your hard work."

And with those words, he carefully spread the top coat on her fingers, with her eyes glued to every movement of his hands.

"So, is that it? It somehow doesn't seem too bad," she said, once her nails were shining thanks to the top coat.

"We are done because _I_ was painting your nails, potato. However, you will need to do another step, which is cleaning your fingers."

"When you shower, the polish on your fingers falls off, that's the cleaning ste-” he smacked her head- “Why!?"

He gave her a dismissive look. "Do you intend to go around class with your messy fingers? You should always look presentable. If I ever see your fingers with nail polish smeared on them, I will give you an adequate punishment."

"Who says I'll let you see?"

"Do you enjoy testing people's limits? If needed, I'll have you show me your hands every day and if I cannot, Rook will check up on you."

"...What was the adequate method?"

"Much better.” He had a winning smirk, and as much as he seemed to complain about it, it almost looked like he was also enjoying himself. “There are different ways, but the easiest for you is to use a cotton swab with polish remover. Of course, this needs you to have a steady hand as you erase your mistakes. There are corrector pens too, but it will be cheaper for you to use a Q-tip instead, and much easier and cheaper if you just learn to do it properly."

"Excuse me for being poor in this world I was suddenly thrust into," she rolled her eyes but then focused on her hands.

Perfectly painted nails, shiny deep purple, no smudges or marks of fingers like she would always have them whenever she tried, which wasn’t so often. They looked professional, though Vil _was_ a professional, so he wouldn’t do anything but perfection.

"They've never looked this pretty in my life, thank you, Vil-senpai!" She was beaming as she switched between admiring her nails and him.

"Never? That sounds depressing.” He folded his arms and shrugged nonchalantly. “It was a simple manicure, I didn't even fix your nails and cuticles."

"That's okay!” she replied, shaking her head. “And we match in colors!"

"We only do because I picked that bottle. Don't think too much about it."

"Hehe, perhaps, but I really like your colors. I like..."

"Purple, yes I know. You've made it clear in your Magicam account."

"Does that mean you've checked my-"

"Absolutely not."

Whatever he said, and no matter what he would later add, nothing would erase that bright infuriating smile from her face. Cheeky, and so blinding that it made him turn his eyes away.

"Well, sure sure, Vil-senpai! I have to go back to my dorm, but thank you again!" she said brightly, waving at him happily before rushing outside of his room, almost beaming.

"Hey, don't run insi- Ah, she already left. Seriously, what am I going to do with you?" He muttered to himself, as he brought the hand which had held hers the entire time to his face. Cheeks flushing pink, he closed his eyes for a moment as his lips pressed against the faint traces of her warmth.

As Ann ran to her dorm, she pressed her hands over her chest, heart beating loudly, as she kept thinking of his gentle warm hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this based on my personal experience with painting my finger when trying to do my nails. I was painting my nails in hopes Vil came home and that's where I got the idea for this.  
> I decided to post this earlier because I received a VilAnn commission and she had her nails painted with the same shade as Vil so I couldn't resist posting it now.


	4. Late Night Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this chapter!
> 
> This takes place during the Pomefiore arc, and therefore before Chapter 3.

It was past 10pm and Vil could see light coming from the kitchen. He huffed to himself, it seemed these potatoes insisted on disobeying him, and being cursed once hadn't taught them the lesson.

He would have to consider harsher punishments if he saw them eating forbidden foods again.

"Should I discipline you better, little mice?" He said as he entered the kitchen, but he received no reply.

Instead, he met the back of the Ramshackle prefect, who had guts to be ignoring him, even if he had graciously overlooked her possible involvement with the other sneaky potatoes.

He approached the foolish girl expecting her to be eating sweets. Instead, he could faintly hear the music Ann was listening, as she was scrubbing the empty apple bottles from the juice boxes Epel had received days ago.

"Manager," he said in a louder voice, the young girl jumped and almost dropped the bottle she was holding. When she realized it was him, she sighed.

"Please don't scare me like that, Schoenheit-senpai," she replied, taking one of her earphones off her ear, the music muted now.

"What were you doing, Manager?"

"I was washing the empty bottles. They can be recycled, you know?"

"I am very aware of that. However, it's past the curfew."

"Well, you're past the curfew too."

He seemed to recall Leona and Azul commenting on her being a smart-aleck.

"Besides, you're not going to wash them, so..."

The nerve of this girl.

"You're doing your job, Manager, but please do it outside our sleeping hours. Now, hurry up and go back to your room."

"Right, right," she said casually as she rinsed her bottle, Vil looking at her intensely so that she would get the hint.

She threw a glance at him, but she made no comment about him still being in the kitchen.

"I don't like how you treat Epel," she said, breaking minutes of silence. And of course she had to say that.

"Nobody asked your opinion on this."

Ann rolled her eyes, giving the bottle she was holding a strong shake. It was a quiet threat, she could spray the water inside on him, though he would make her regret her pointless antic immediately and dearly.

"If you really want to get him to cooperate, that's obviously not the way."

"Do you always like to get involved in other people's affairs? Never mind, I already know the answer, it was a pointless question."

She placed the bottle in the rack to dry and turned to him with a bored expression. She had to look up to merely meet his eyes, while he easily looked down on her.

"Shouldn't you be worried about your own affairs? Have you done your studies, finished your homework? Focus on those instead of pestering me," Vil replied, feeling his irritation rising.

"But I already have, your Highness." That tone of hers, dripping with sarcasm, was even more infuriating. "My job as Manager is helping you, and that involves having everyone get along."

"He's nothing to you. You don't even share classes."

"Do I have to? I don't let that flimsy excuse stop me when I see someone acting wrong. Anyway, if you _really_ want him to see your way, you're doing the worst job. He's going to be even more stubborn against you."

"He will come to see how it is."

"Uh-uh, well good luck with that."

"Please, focus on your work, Manager, as I'll let it slide this time that you're breaking the rules."

"You have good intentions, it's just your way of doing it is wrong."

"I don't recall asking you for your advice."

"I'm not sure why, but I can tell this VDC is very important to you. If you keep treating him like this, this will get in the way of our victory."

"You're making me the villain in this story. "

"Not really, Epel is at fault too. He's just not here. I _do_ agree with you, there are many things that shouldn't be limited to one gender. But if you both keep acting like this, you'll get nowhere."

He looked at her, unimpressed if she was trying to make him relent. “Oh, in that case, make sure to provide your important and needed criticism to him. Though, since we are giving unwanted advice, please refrain from talking about things you have no idea about.”

Ann frowned, not backing off from that staring contest. “…You do have a point, I don’t know anything about whatever deal you have, but does that justify your treatment to him?”

“Should he blame me for his own limitations and prejudices, and refusal to accept himself for who he is?”

His remark froze Ann in place, for once looking as she didn’t have a quirky or smarmy remark to throw back at him.

“Thought so. Manager, finish your job and go to bed unless you insist on breaking the rules. I have no interest in talking to you,” he said coolly, walking out of the kitchen.

* * *

The next morning, Vil came across Ann in the same kitchen, roles reversed as he was washing his dishes and she had come inside. His annoyance from last night still lingered, and the moment he saw her open her mouth, he wanted to shut her instead.

“I thought hard about what you said,” she began, ignoring his murderous gaze. “And you are right, he has no reason to blame you for things that are his own problem, and I don’t know anything about you two, but… I do stand in thinking you are both going at this the wrong way. You just keep talking, but neither of you is listening. Worse of all, you’re both not trying to understand the other. But I am aware that you’re not going to listen to what I say, but I can’t sit here doing nothing and watching this _shitshow_ go down.”

He didn’t understand why, but those words cut in deeply. His intentions and goals weren’t understood by anyone and now she was referring to everything he did as a _shitshow_. Was she seriously saying his hard work, that his attempt to beat Neige was something insignificant? That everything he put on, his time, effort, work, himself out there, was a _shitshow_?

A myriad of emotions boiled inside, so many he couldn’t make every of them out, except for one, his anger flashing from his eyes. However, he masked the rest of his inner turmoil and resolved to ignore her for the rest of the day, earning only a deep sigh from her as she received nothing but his silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Because of their uhh rather strong and blunt personalities, their first encounters and in something as important as Epel's involvement in VDC wouldn't end up in a nicer note, especially not when Vil is basically over-stressed and one step from Overblotting. Ann is simply not the kind of person to stand and watch, so you can imagine things went like this...


	5. After Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this.  
> The events that happen in this chapter and next chapter are in the odd space of "Pomefiore arc hasn't updated, Big F" so we don't know if or when Yuu/MC, or in this case, Ann, would properly learn of Vil's issues with Neige and the movie offer. I just went with my gut feeling.

Practice had ended for the day, and he had stayed in the ballroom to gather his thoughts. Things were not going according to plan, in fact, it all seemed to go south, no matter what he did. It was frustrating. As frustrating as the girl in front of him, trying to talk to him, no matter how much he had been avoiding her unless it was strictly necessary. Ann had even begun to bring her tablet, that one she apparently scammed Azul into buying for her in a silly bet over a videogame. She had been drawing to kill time as she waited for him to finally be free so she could talk to him, though always Rook had gotten in her way, except today, of all times, when his patience was thin and he had no intention of worsening it.

"Uh, Schoenheit-senpai? I have a feeling you're angry at me." She quickly put her tablet down as she rushed to prevent him from leaving the ballroom.

It had been a couple of days since their meeting in the kitchen, and Vil was looking forward to the end of this mess. Not only had practice been difficult to manage, with her potato friends making little progress, but now it seemed Ann couldn’t take a hint and stop trying to get friendly with him.

"Really? Why would I waste my time being angry at you?"

"It's exactly because of this that now I'm certain you're angry at me,” she grimaced, but he didn’t care. “...I'm sorry, Schoenheit-senpai. I didn't want to make you upset."

"Bold of you to assume you have affected me in any way." His fingers clenched slightly against his arms, folded over his chest, as he towered over her.

"I got too caught up in your discussion with Epel, that I misspoke. I shouldn't have intervened, I just didn't want it to affect your performance in the VDC!"

He could feel his supposedly cooled anger rising. The nerve of this girl. To dismiss it all and then suddenly be worried?

"Oh?" He replied coldly. "And why do you care? Oh right, you want to improve this mess of a dorm with the money."

He could see her biting her tongue as she received his poisonous replies.

"I agreed originally for that, but after seeing how hard you all have tried, I just want you to win!"

"Do you think you can only win with hard work?" He didn't mean to spit those words, but she was testing his patience. "I didn't think you'd be interested, in how did you call it, a _shitshow_?"

"What? The only shitshow is you and Epel arguing and going nowhere," she bluntly replied, and as soon as she finished those words, she flinched, realizing she had opened her mouth, again.

"What-"

She glanced at him nervously, utterly confused. He could see her trying to think what exactly he was angry at, because apparently it wasn’t the shitshow she was referring to. Almost as if there was a gross mistake, but she didn’t know if pressing further or relent. Whatever it was, she was aware that she was treading on extremely thin ice. "A-arguing will only take up time which can be used in rehearsals...” she replied, not as confident as she tried to sound, probably expecting him to yell at her. “If you could find a common ground, maybe the group's performance will improve... If someone does badly, it'll reflect on the group. You said you wanted to vote for yourself, right? You wouldn't do it for anything less than perfect."

He stared at her, she barely reached his shoulders. It was so easy to look down on her.

"And you're right... Sometimes... you give it all and it doesn't matter. It doesn't change a thing, but...it doesn't erase everything you did either. The effort you put into making that song, the classes you've been giving to Epel and Deuce, the time you've spent refining the dance steps. You nitpick on everyone's singing so they can improve. It's because of this, of the effort you've put into that..." She looked at him directly in the eye. "I want you all to win, especially you, Schoenheit-senpai! You want to beat that Neige guy, right? I don't get why but I know this is very important to you, so I want to help everyone achieve this victory."

"You don't know what you're saying."

He looked at her, to find traces of a lie. After all, lying was the best way to get people to do whatever you want. To mix half-truths with lies, to cover up the truth with sweet, sweet poisonous words, ready to ensnare their victim. He hated being lied to, being thrown pretty empty words to get on his good side. Did she really want to trick him with such fake support? As he was scrutinizing her, trying to find any holes in her story, any lies in her eyes, her expression turned from confusion to...

"Is it really that hard to believe? You're so stubborn, Schoenheit-senpai!” she huffed to him, somehow now very annoyed at him. She dared to look back at him, glaring with frustration, which was not what he was expecting. “Fine then, keep ignoring me, it'll make my work harder, but I'll help you achieve your dream!"

And with that, she stormed off the room.

Fine by him, though his relief had been short-lived, as the silence that followed after Ann leaving was interrupted by his phone ringing.

“Adella.”

“Vil, I know your feelings about it, but, please reconsider it!”

“I have nothing to reconsider, I made myself clear the first time. I will not play the villain to…” The poison from his words dripped, as he snarled that name “…Neige’s hero in Legendary Sword!”

“But it is an opportunity…!”

“It is _not!_ ” To accept this defeat, to become the villain the beautiful Neige would defeat, in a movie series he loved. Who would care about the villain? Who would like the second best, when the winner was all anyone cared for? “Adella, I told you before, do not contact me until I’m done with the VDC.” And with that, he hung up his phone.

To accept this role, it would mean that all his work had been for nothing. That no matter how hard he had tried, Neige could easily sweep in and destroy it. Everything Vil had achieved, as Neige gently smiled. Seeing him everywhere, hearing about him from everyone…

That was why he had to win the VDC. He was willing to do anything. He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, as he stared at the ballroom. He would make Epel see his way, so that Epel would become his poison apple.

With a renewed resolve, fueled by anger and frustration, he stormed off the ballroom, almost slamming into Ann, as she managed to move aside.

“S-sorry, Schoenheit-senpai…” She looked flustered. “I-I forgot something…”

“Be careful with your things, I am not your mother to look after them for you,” he groaned.

She glanced at him. “You uh, nevermind, I’ll just quickly look for it.” With those words, she rushed into the room, and moments later, she came out, clutching the tablet against her chest. “S-sorry, I won’t forget it again.”

“Then, don’t bring it. Devote yourself to this.”

“….R-right!” she replied nervously, and with a hurried nod, she rushed to leave the hall.

For a moment, he had expected her to invite him to take a walk back to Ramshackle Dorm, but this was a better solution. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to hear empty, useless, pretty words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	6. Movie review

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this!  
> Same as before, hopefully this doesn't age bad with the eventual Pomefiore part 3 update at the end of the month!

The kitchen was empty, for everyone had gone to bed, having learned that crossing Vil and breaking the rules wasn’t something to take lightly. Twenty minutes before curfew, Vil was washing the cup he had just used. He needed water to clear his head. Beating Neige in the VDC, being the fairest of them all. He had these goals in mind, but no matter how hard he tried, it was never enough. The water from the faucet couldn’t flush his thoughts away, as it flowed down his hands, so cold but Vil hadn’t even noticed either.

“-senpai?”

Why?

Why couldn’t he beat Neige?

What did Neige have that he lacked?

The cute character he always showed? Was it just that? Something he couldn’t even work with?

The hero, the beautiful holder of the Legendary sword. That was Neige’s role.

The cold beautiful villain. That was Vil’s role.

The water stopped.

“!”

Vil suddenly realized someone was next to him, having been struck slightly by their elbow, as this person turned off the faucet.

“Schoenheit-senpai, are you alright?” It was Ann, who had taken him out of his trance.

“Manager…yes, I’m fine,” he replied, still in a daze. He hadn’t meant to get so carried away in his thoughts that anyone saw him like this.

He wasn’t as annoyed as before with her, since she seemingly didn’t insult him and had apologized for whatever she had meant to say, though he was far from being on friendly terms with her. She seemed to be treating him with a certain distance, since their discussion had ended abruptly when she stormed off. He was perfectly fine with this unspoken arrangement.

Ann didn’t reply to his calm reassurance, but her expression let him know she wasn’t buying his words. She could keep her worry to herself, channeling it to win the VDC instead.

“…There’s something I wanted to talk to you about…” she finally said, after taking a deep breath to break the awkward silence. “It’s not about Epel…it’s about you…”

For a second there, she seemed to hesitate. Actually, this expression was the same one she had been wearing ever since she apologized when they crossed paths. As if she had something to say but feared doing so. Vil had never intended to ask her anything, ignoring her gaze if she had nothing to add to their discussions or practice.

“…Go on.” He prepared himself mentally, he was going to end up annoyed, but if he didn’t pretend to hear her now, she would be nagging him later on. He could certainly do without that, so he would take the lesser of the two evils.

She took a deep breath, and somehow bluntly stated, “You are going to get angry at me, but I might have heard your conversation with that Adella woman. About a film where Neige Leblanche got the lead and they wanted you to play the villain.” And just as that, she looked at him, ready to face her punishment.

He would have actually punished her, if he hadn’t been taken by surprise.

“How…?”

He had been extremely careful in answering his calls, only twice had he been contacted, and she wasn’t around then. Had Rook told her something? Rook had fine ears and he might have heard the phone calls, but he doubted his vice dorm leader would betray him and tell that private information to her.

“The other day… at the end of practice. I forgot my tablet after we uhhhh…had a discussion.” She grimaced, and forced herself to look at him. “I left it there but you were talking on the phone and I couldn’t just enter.”

“So, you decided to eavesdrop instead,” he coldly replied.

“It was an accident, I didn’t mean to! By the time I had realized what was happening, you left the room and I didn’t know what to do,” she hurried to add, stepping back defensively. “I’ve been thinking hard if I should talk to you about it but… Whatever. You are angry anyway, so, before you kill me for eavesdropping, lemme ask the following: Is Neige really that good? Or was it because he looks like the good hero?”

She was extremely right in him wanting to kill her in that moment, though her second question took him by surprise. “What do you think, Manager?” He was _not_ going to talk about Neige.

“So, it’s the second…. I had a gut feeling it was like that. I looked around the internet, he’s mentioned a lot, I guess, but he just looks cute to me. I honestly don’t see why everyone goes wild about him. But I guess he does have the appeal to play the good-natured hero, just as you do look like a good fit for a handsome villain.”

He certainly did not need to have her rub salt on his wound, it was bad enough that Rook would blab and praise Neige. Clenching his fist, he was wondering how to curse her to make her stop.

“That’s pretty disappointing and boring, actually,” she said flatly.

“…What?”

“What do you mean what?” She looked at him confused, unaware that she was the one not making any sense at all. “I looked up the Legendary Sword, it’s supposed to be a groundbreaking film series, right? But if they go for such basic casting, is it really groundbreaking?”

Vil stared at her for a moment, a mix of extreme annoyance and deep confusion because what did one thing have to do with another? Not to mention, it was a series he loved.

"Have you even watched the first one?!"

How dared she say that.

"....No, but that's not really my point."

He gave her a scornful smile, as he said, “Of course, Manager. Here you go again, please give me your opinion on things you don’t know the least about.”

"I don’t need to watch a film to get a sense of what they are going for. I can get the _aesthetic_ they are going for, and usually that goes in hand with the setting.” She shrugged her shoulders. “From what I heard of your conversation, yeah I’m sorry, it won’t happen again, you didn’t get to audition, so they offered you the role. Probably the same happened with Neige, so it means they are basing the casting on your physical appearance.”

It wasn’t his physical appearance entirely, but she wasn’t that wrong actually. He was almost impressed she could have figured it out. And that meant he had to be more careful than he thought. Though he should have suspected something, if she managed to dupe _Azul_.

“That’s pretty disappointing, they aren't taking your acting skills into consideration. A true actor can make the audience believe in their character, no matter how they look. That's strength of their histrionics."

"Don't you realize you're being overly idealistic? You didn't strike me as the type," he interjected, arching an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure what she was trying to do, but he was almost curious to see how farfetched her ramble would go.

"But, am I wrong? Also, you got a point. The plot and allegiances, the roles of the characters shouldn't be spelled out from appearances. That actually lessens the strength of your acting. It kills the story when I can see someone and know exactly that he is the bad guy just because he wears purple and looks cold. That’s not creative, it’s extremely boring. I thought that as a fashion model and probably a trendsetter, you would prefer to break the rules."

He wouldn’t deign to give her an answer, but she didn’t look at him like she was expecting one.

"The fact that you said I didn't look the type, that's exactly my point. I prefer when my characters are deeper than what they only look. When they surprise me because someone looks cute but isn’t the cute type, that keeps me on my toes. To subvert the expectations of the audience, while showing them a story they can't predict, that's what I would call legendary. Surely, a movie like that should have a legendary casting too."

"I see you keep taking about things you do not know. You keep talking about a movie you haven't seen and the casting of a sequel you don't know."

"...You have a fair point, but I can tell that the casting is very safe. To cast the cute actor as the protagonist and the beautiful sexy one as the villain. They didn't really take any risks."

"Perhaps you weren't paying attention to what I said before,” he groaned. “You have to understand the visuals that suit the atmosphere. A group of elementary children singing metal will look off."

"I actually want to hear that."

"Forget it, your taste is too extreme to understand my point," he grimaced, giving up on trying to get through her thick skull.

“I guess… though I find it sad that for all the boldness you have, you’re stuck with mainstream ideals. Though it seems to come with the industry. They are the ones with the money.”

"Suppose you are in charge of casting, Manager. Do you mean you would have me as lead instead?"

"I wouldn't have a prince charming as the lead in the first place. But the role would go to the one who acts the part better. Not just looks."

Vil looked at her with a stony expression, somehow her words stung and he felt uncomfortable.

"Though, if we have a hero like that, to cast _you_ as the prince charming, the good hero they are picking Neige for... I would honestly prefer that. It's a risky decision, and many would question your casting, but if you were to sweep everyone's minds with your performance, you would win even more than if you went with a typical casting. There's a higher risk, but an even higher reward."

"Fufu, you still have no idea what you're talking about. Unfortunately, as much as your ridiculous idea sounds compelling, the truth is, Neige was cast as the main character."

"If it makes you feel better, I can write you as a main character in a story I make."

He smiled mockingly at her. "Ara, should I be touched? That a mere potato acting as a manager makes me her main character in her story? Focus on your studies."

"I mean, we can’t change things now, but if you were the hero and people questioned it, it's your job as the actor to prove them wrong."

"You sound awfully confident in my abilities."

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"

Vil was taken back. That was the most unexpected way to compliment someone, though he couldn't say he hated it. That said, she was incredibly annoying.

"You do enjoy talking about things you have no clue about."

"What I don't have a clue about? If I look carefully at you, I can tell you've honed yourself a lot."

"...what?"

"It's the way you conduct yourself. To be this knowledgeable about food and skin care, about music too. Dancing styles, dance moves. There's a limit to natural talent. You could understand things in theory but you call them by their names, that doesn't come from simple experience. Your pose is always perfect, both when you're walking and when you're fighting. To be able to have that degree of grace, you can't always do it unless you've trained yourself to be graceful. I get the feeling you're always pushing yourself to be perfect in any way. No matter what. Like you could be wearing burning shoes and you wouldn't show your pain."

He looked at her, she liked saying the oddest things. Why was she focusing on that? Normally, people commented directly on his beauty. He wasn’t used to being told this, he was doing only the _necessary_ things to achieve his goal. The obvious things that no one focused on. That no one praised.

You didn't praise the method, you praised the results. The finished product. It didn't matter if you did your best when you failed. The result was all that mattered.

Just as he couldn’t beat Neige.

However, her words made him uncomfortable. Was she offering a cheap clap on the back as his fate, and he hated that word, was to be the loser? Some cheap, meaningless sympathy as an equally miserable bandage to his mortally wounded pride?

"What is your game, Manager? Is this some attempt to get along with me to further your goals?"

She huffed, visibly frustrated and annoyed at him, when he should be the one groaning at her and her nonsensical questioning. "You know, you're really smart but you're horribly stubborn. I'm not dissing you. Damn this school. You're all a huge bunch of weirdos, you're always focusing on the oddest stuff."

"As if you can truly say that to me."

"Really? Riddle got so angry about breaking even the most ridiculous inconsequential rules that the Queen of Hearts made. I get things like ‘Don't run with scissors in the hall’, because you can actually get hurt, but the color of roses? The tea you serve after 6? That's just showing off your power in meaningless bullshit. It alienates people instead of making them like you. He is devoted and meticulous, except he's focusing on the stupid stuff.

“Leona is capable, he's actually smart and he could be an excellent student and magift player but he can't be bothered to do anything because he doesn't want to be compared to others. Well, duh, you're always going to be compared. Damned if you do it, damned if you don’t, it’s way better to be damned for doing your thing. The rest can go fuck off. It’s not like they are going to do things for you, and they won’t live your life.”

Was she trying to get on his good side by dissing everyone?

“Azul, for all the intelligence he has, is a big idiot. All the effort he made to hide his past, just to crumble because of a photo. Why would you want to alter it so much that you're no longer yourself? I don't understand. He could see how far he had come and how much he had improved himself, that the Azul in that picture, who was extremely cute mind you, would be just proud of who he had grown into. But no, he had to drag everyone with those shady contracts, trick everyone to profit off them, try to trick me instead of asking for help like a fucking normal person. I would have helped him without any of this idiot contract bullshit if he was just sincere and not an incredibly fucking shady yakuza.

“Jamil. Don't get me started on him, I'm still salty about it. It's a custom in his country, I understand that. His parents were in the wrong, I understand that but. Did he really have to try to fucking kill us? In the bloody desert?! Not to mention, he had Kalim, KALIM! Kalim wouldn't have minded that Jamil told him the truth about him having to play the incompetent servant when he's like a fucking genius. Getting average grades on purpose is really hard, you have to be super smart to do that! Hell, Kalim would have been the first one to support him if he knew the truth! Kalim trusted him, Jamil was his best friend. He even forgave him. With Kalim at his side, things would have been different. But no, Jamil had to fake this shady nice persona to get us to like him, then use everyone for his stupid nonsense and instead of talking! Like normal people! Attempted murder! Of course that is the right answer."

Her rant made him furious. It wasn’t her ranting about the others, as several of them, like Leona, were annoying in many degrees. It was because it showed how she saw the other students, and it made him wonder how she would later see him.

How would she casually dismiss all his struggles?

"I wish I had this much drive to care about stupid shit."

"You are exactly as Leona and Azul said you were,” he replied, wanting furiously to slap her, to make her shut up, “an obnoxious brat who talks as if she knows everything. Casually dissing everyone while supposedly praising them? I thought you were supposed to be a good quiet prefect. Your opinion doesn't matter."

"It does matter because when you _die_ , you can't do anything of these things. You could fall off your broom next class, crack your skull and die, but all you worried about was an idiot meaningless thing, instead of doing what you really wanted."

Vil stared at her, shocked for a moment, her words a slap to his face. He didn't expect them nor the tone she used, a clear-headed but extremely heartfelt answer. It was rational, not spat out in the heat of the moment, almost a product of actual experience.

It was in that moment he realized she genuinely meant what she said before. She was genuinely praising his efforts, the things no one else even considered. And he wasn’t sure how he should feel. He was feeling annoyed, he could imagine her ranting about him next. 'You are an idiot, trying to best Neige in being the fairest.'

But what was the thing she would compliment him on as well?

The answer would have to haunt him, because he was not going to ask her about himself. He was scared of that answer. He was scared of being focused on something wrong, of being told his path was wrong from the start.

He had devoted himself to being the fairest of them all for so long, just to be told it was an impossible task from the start. The effort he put into it would be absolutely meaningless, as they weren’t in a fairy tale, and even if they were, they weren’t its main characters.

“Manager,” he said in a tone that he himself couldn’t discern. It was such, though, that Ann quickly cooled down from her rant, going from emboldened to suddenly stay silent, and hesitant. “I will not repeat myself. Stop talking as if you understand my feelings. You don’t know me, I don’t know you. All you need to know is that you have to devote yourself to the VDC.”

“But… I thought-”

“Yes, you always ‘thought’. Whatever you thought, you are wrong. Stop delving into others’ personal affairs.”

He saw her opening her mouth, but he wouldn’t entertain her any longer. She had damaged him enough, making him fear for a moment of his own goals, to let her destroy his shaking beliefs and crumbling confidence. With a fierce glare, hiding his inner turmoil as he had always done, the iron mask befitting a queen, he looked down on her once before leaving her alone, with only the wind to listen to whatever useless opinion she had to share.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	7. Birthday Pt. I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann's birthday is on December 9th. Therefore, she has to follow the NRC birthday tradition. Since she usually does the interviews, who better to ask her now the spicy questions than her best friends, Ace and Deuce? (With a little help from others in writing them because interviewing is hard)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this!
> 
> Unlike any other fics in this Anthology, this follows a different format, closer to the Birthday personal stories from the game.

Deuce: Prefect, happy birthday!

Ace: Happy birthday!

Ann: This is so awkward, I feel like you're getting revenge for your birthday interview, Ace.

Ace: Everyone is getting back... just kidding!

Deuce: We wanted to interview you for your birthday, the Headmaster let us do it.

Ace: We also got suggestions from everyone for the interview. Are you ready?

Ann: You're definitely getting back at me...Ok fine, shoot.

Deuce: "How does it feel to be the...only girl...in an all boys school?"

Ann: You always forget I'm a girl and treat me like a guy, so...I don't think you sent that question, probably Aniki (Trey) did. It's not like there's anything special, it's convenient being in a mostly empty dorm, but I don't have that much trouble. You could all be more delicate though.

Ace: Good try, Ann- _chan_. This one is from Cater-senpai. "Is there anyone special you want to spend your birthday with?" Oh, straight to the point.

Ann: _Of course he would._ You know, just because you forget I'm a girl doesn't mean you can ask me such things. A young maiden won't reveal it like that, if I want to spend my time with you, you'll know.

ADeuce: S-paisen.

Ann: IF YOU KNEW IT THEN WHY DID YOU ASK!

Deuce: Oh, Assim-senpai asked this. "What foods do you like?"

Ann: Sweets! ESPECIALLY CHOCOLATE! Actually, I got a chocolate cake from Aniki, hehe. And he promised to let me have one of his special burgers! You can never go wrong with those! I'm not good with spices though, my stomach can't handle them.

Ace: "Human, how dare you refer to Malleus-sama like that?"

Everyone: Next.

Deuce: This one is from Shroud-senpai. "When are you going to try these games?" Oh, he attached a list of... uhhh these are 20 games?!

Ann: Ohhh gimme gimme! It's a long list... OH I have heard of these games! I'll see which I can get and if he doesn't mind lending me the others, I can get to them!

Ace: Sometimes I wonder if you're not related. This one is from Jack: "Why don't you join Schoenheit-senpai and me for a jogging session later?"

Ann: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Last time I did, Vil-senpai just had to pick the day I might have been awake at 6am... Any kind of exercise at that hour and then without any sleep... I felt like dying every time. Why do they like to do things early? They didn't even hold back!

Deuce: I think you should stop going to bed so late.

Ann: I was at a good part in my game! I couldn't just stop!

Ace: Ewww, this is from Azul... "Why don't we form a partnership?"

Ann: I'd rather eat nails.

Ace: So harsh. But same. *shudders*

Ann: I mean, I can replicate a specific something in case he gets out of hand, but getting into a shady deal with Boss and his Yakuza is a terrible idea. That's why I didn't join the board game club.

Deuce: Oh, this is from our dorm leader. "Thank you for always taking care of the horses." Huh, that's not a question...

Ann: The horses are really cute, so it's no problem! I haven't had pets, so this is as closest as I can get.

Ace: What about Grim?

Ann: He's a gremlin, that doesn't count.

Deuce: By the way, how are you doing with your horse riding skills?

Ann: ........I can walk with the horse, thank you very much.

Ace: You mean at a snail's pace. *snicker*

Ann: BABY STEPS. IT'S A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT ALRIGHT.

Ace: Huh? This one isn't signed... Let's see, it says "Which place would you like to visit?"

Ann: Huh? Well, it's kinda vague? Though whether it's a date or to just hang around, I don't really know anywhere but here, so I wouldn't mind going to other towns and places. I want to see many places this world has to offer, though I uhhh need guiding...

Ace: Knowing you, you'll end up lost as soon as you turn around.

Ann: Shut up!!! I can...eventually...find my way. Also, isn't it obvious that someone would go with me to a place I've never seen before? There are things you can't easily figure out on your own and that sort of sightseeing is more enjoyable with a friend. Or that's what I think. Going on my own on a trip...I prefer to make memories with a friend, so we can talk about it together later.

Deuce: I think that's all questions for now, once again, Happy birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I wanted to upload it at a time where it was December 9th both where I live and in Japan, hence it was uploaded at almost midnight F.  
> Ann gives many people nicknames, though they don't follow a particular logic and they can be anything. Out of note is S-paisen, which is the way she refers to Vil online on her blog and MagiCam. Because she wants to go unnoticed and doesn't want to clog his mentions because she spends a lot of time talking about him, she went with S-paisen on the wild logic that he at first glance looked like a DoS guy, but he wasn't really, but his surname starts with an S. Paisen, because she loves him very much. Ace and Deuce eventually caught up.


	8. Birthday Pt. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shortly after Ann is asked several spicy (not really) questions, she has to go through another round of, this time, more personal questions, courtesy of Trey and Rook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this!
> 
> Like Birthday Pt. I, this follows a different format, closer to the Birthday personal stories from the game.

Trey: Happy birthday, Ann!

Rook: May you have a joyous day to remember the day of your birth, Trickster Ann-kun!

Ann: Uh, thank you and why are you here?

Trey: We wanted to ask you more questions, Ann.

Ann: Again? Uhhh Deuce and Ace already did.

Rook: Oui, that is true, however, we believe there are more things you'd wish to talk about.

Trey: They didn't feel comfortable asking them aloud, and thought we were better suited to do so.

Ann: ...I guess it makes sense...you do know more about that but. Just...

T: Don't force yourself to answer the questions.

R: Answer those you feel like sharing with us. _Rose Chevalier_ and I decided on the questions this time.

A: Alright.

Rook: Have you been enjoying yourself on this day? You have always been secretive about the day of your birth, even if it's a date to celebrate. I was overjoyed to see you wearing the traditional outfit earlier in the morning! _Beauté_!

Ann: When you put it like this, it's even more embarrassing! The Headmaster dropped by to hand me the clothes last night and almost gave me a heart attack! I'm not sure how he learned of my birthday, but he told me I had to follow the traditions and how kind of him to give me clothes that I had to absolutely wear or else.

Trey: *pretends to be shocked and not the birthday snitch*

Ann: Then, I thought it would be too embarrassing to wear them like that so I went out with a paper bag on my head, but Vil-senpai was at my door and took it off! He helped me arrange my hair and did my makeup which was nice I guess but...I'm not used to looking like this and I wanted my paper bag back, but he cursed it!

Rook: As expected of Vil! He certainly won't let you sabotage your special day!

Ann: ...I-I guess...

Rook: You should be proud of the beauty you possess and the care Vil took into showcasing it for you.

Ann: You probably told him about my birthday...

Trey: That was me, but I'm glad I did, that look suits you well, Ann.

Ann: Please, stop it...

Trey: You really struggle being the center of attention, don't you? Especially on your birthday.

Ann: I haven't celebrated it in years, it felt so awkward, having everyone wishing me a happy birthday or giving me things. I'm really not used to it haha...

Rook: You gave off the impression of a scared fawn, but that is no good. You should be smiling and enjoying yourself. You must have celebrated it before, have you not?

Ann: ...I did, but even then it wasn't that big. It was only with my family and a friend of mine. After I moved with my aunt, I lost contact with my friend. Though... those celebrations were really nice. Mom would bake a big chocolate cake for me and Dad would come home early and cancel his plans. My brother and I would stay up late watching movies or playing games. I miss those days...

Trey: You were really close to your family. How were they like?

Ann: I would say we were a pretty normal family? But uh, I guess we weren't? Haha. My parents were university professors and they had their labs. Dad really liked talking about me to his students, it was so embarrassing! I was visiting one time and one student was all 'You're the professor's daughter??? I thought you were older but you're like 10.' I WAS 12 ALRIGHT."

Trey: *tries to not laugh*

Ann: Mom was the normal one of the two, though not by much. I wasn't as close to her as I was to Dad, but she always took care of us. It was fun getting lost together when we went shopping.

Rook: So you inherited your terrible sense of direction from her, _très bien_!

A: NOT _très bien_! Imagine hearing an announcement on the intercom in the supermarket and you expect to see two little kids, but it's a mom and her kid. Though we could do mom-daughter things like go read comics at the bookstore and eat ice cream.

Trey: I'm not sure the first one is a typical mom-daughter tradition.

Ann: Dad always wanted to buy me clothes so it was a nice break. I did sometimes help Mom with her clothes. She would ask me if something Dad chose for her fit her, so I was like 'No.'.

Trey: That's... brutal, but somehow perfectly normal for you.

Ann: I think she just wanted a second opinion, she always looked relieved someone agreed with her and she didn't have the heart to say that to Dad to his face. So I did.

Rook: So they fostered your cutting tongue since you were little. It's important to cultivate our unique traits. You had wonderful parents!

Trey: I'm not sure that one is something you want to sharpen but...I guess it worked out somehow. You had a sibling, right? Were you two close?

Ann: Yeah, Gabs and I were pretty close, we did a lot of things together. There weren't many kids where we lived, so we played videogames and watched anime. He sometimes took me to some concerts, but he carried me on his shoulders, so I wouldn't be hit by others during the slam. And if they threw water bottles, I would throw them back!

Trey: (Just what kind of concert did you guys go to?)

Rook: Slamming? I'm intrigued, would you mind telling us more about this?

Ann: You don't do it here? Though I guess it's not something you'd hear about in Pomefiore.

Trey: We do have the concept here but it's not something Vil would want to see in his dorm.

Ann: Though we weren't often in the pit, Gabs was worried I would get hurt. He was always fussing about others, a little like you, Aniki. You remind me of him at times. He also liked to bake and cook and often helped Mom in the kitchen. I think he would be the worrywart older brother now...

Rook: Your family sounds wonderful, I can see where you got some of your unique traits!

Trey: Certainly you were close though I guess your definition of normal is as unique as you.

Ann: Really?

Trey: Haha, don't think too much about it.

Ann: Now you're making fun of me.

Rook: Non, _Rose Chevalier_ is right, but that is what makes your beauty unique. I'm sure everyone who celebrates your birthday both in the past and now can see it. By the way, is it time?

Trey: Yeah, it's almost time.

Ann: Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Trey: We should all get going, the others are waiting.

Rook: Please come with us, Trickster Ann-kun, otherwise I'm afraid I will have to carry you myself. Though I wouldn’t mind chasing you for a bit if you're in the mood for escaping.

Ann: Wh-

Trey: You should just come quietly, Ann, let's go.

Ann: DON'T GO DECIDING THINGS ON YOUR OWN!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> At the end of the interview, Ann could enjoy her own birthday party, as seen here!  
> https://twitter.com/EspLynne/status/1336820307861139458?s=20
> 
> Something of note here is that Ann is a very private person and rarely talks about her personal life before Twisted Wonderland, for reasons that will be later developed in this fic. Because of the nature of the subject, ADeuce weren't feeling like the most adequate to talk about that, hence they asked Rook and Trey to go for the interview.  
> For those unaware, slamming, aka people pushing into each other in a pit, is very common in heavy metal concerts. Yes, Ann and Lilia should bond over their music taste. She would be appalled to hear that Lilia face-planted during the Light Music club's presentation, from Lilia's SR Ceremony Robes story.


	9. Elusive Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the worst days in Vil's recent life, Epel and Deuce had just ran away and left him having to face a possible logistics nightmare. To make matters worse (better), someone (that absolutely obnoxious manager) had to disagree on why he had simply shown Epel the true power of beauty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to polyphenols for beta-reading this!

Things had honestly worked out in the most obnoxious yet mysterious of ways.

When Epel had run away, merely two weeks before the VDC, Vil needed to apply all the breathing techniques he knew because otherwise he would explode. Two weeks was so little time to do anything; finding a replacement and properly training them would be impossible to achieve in such a short window. The other option, changing the choreography to fit one person less AND upgrading one of the backup vocals to take over Epel’s parts seemed easier in theory. Keywords, _in theory_.

This would put everything in jeopardy because he would have to select someone and they would have to almost start from zero. With a clear role assigned to each member, the replacement would be at risk of mixing up their original lines and steps with Epel’s, not to mention the others would have to consider the new spatial reorganization.

The perfect symmetry he had arranged everyone to, the distribution of the main vocals and the backup ones, how everyone was in the perfect spot, everything would be ruined.

Then Freshman Potato No.2 had to follow Epel and disappear, further complicating everything.

Five was too small of a number of singers to properly portray the song AND the dance. Two main vocals and three backups complicated dancing distribution. Three main vocals and two backups caused the backups to fade against the three main singers.

Everything he did had been logical and organized for a reason, meticulously taking care of the smallest detail. His hard work would be ruined for a pair of children who were just throwing a tantrum. He was so desperate that he even considered for the briefest moment if Ann could somehow take in a spot.

Actually, she wasn’t bad looking, she was following the same regimen as everyone else so her skin was clear and pretty. With extremely short hair, she might pull it off. The problem was that Ann was a girl, and her singing voice would disrupt the harmony between the original members. No matter if she was a main or backup vocal, her voice would unfortunately stand out, and not in the way Vil needed.

So he quickly discarded the idea, even if he had spent quite a lot of time staring at her when she had arrived to check up on him, to the point she noticed him scrutinizing her. But no, he wouldn’t get a break, as the same troublemakers came back, and not with good news. If it wasn’t a logistics nightmare already barely avoided, he then faced the possibility of being banned from the VDC for the same potatoes breaking school rules AND fighting non-magicians.

The entire day was too much stress for anyone to handle in a couple of hours. He wasn’t a child who threw a tantrum when things didn’t do his way, but was it too much to ask for things to at least not go as bad for once?

“I have finally understood the meaning behind the power that Vil-san was talking about.”

“!”

“Thanks to you, a lot of people are buying the apple juice from my hometown now… They are so happy about it.”

Could it finally be?

“I want this power too.”

Vil smiled smugly, a true victory having taken place before his eyes as Epel had finally seen his way. After a long and stressful struggle, Epel finally understood the true power of beauty. He would finally become the poison apple Vil needed to beat Neige.

* * *

The atmosphere in Ramshackle Dorm had turned more light-hearted, even If Epel and Deuce had been slightly punished and Ace seemed still confused at what Deuce had told him. But it was a huge improvement over the dreadful tension from the previous days, and it seemed that things were finally clearing up.

Vil had sent everyone to bed, stopping for a moment in the middle of the hall to check his phone calendar. There were still things to fix in their performance, but with the newfound interest and disposition of everyone, especially Epel, he would have to tinker the schedule he had for the remaining two weeks. To polish them so they would all shine brilliantly, Vil had to make the most of this time for a magnificent comeback.

“Ah, I’m glad I could meet you before you went to sleep,” the voice of the lone girl in the room was unmistakable as Vil sighed and closed the calendar app. Whenever she met him like this, he always ended angry with one of her “incredibly important discussions”, so he might as well finish it fast and go to his room to finish his plans.

However, the prefect looked at him, a soft smile on her face, and no intention to argue with him.

“Thank you, Schoenheit-senpai.”

Vil arched an eyebrow, surprised, but not wanting to chant victory too early. “What is this for?”

“You helped Epel’s village. He told us they weren’t doing so well recently. I mean, he received a lot of boxes that hadn’t been sold and were close to the expiration date. The MagiCam post you made really helped everyone, I can see how grateful and happy Epel is thanks to you.”

“Manager, did you pay attention to what I told Epel when they came back?”

“About you liking to make others kneel?”

He smiled snidely at her. Of all the things she had to remember, it was _that._ Fine then, he would make her kneel too soon enough.

“So you were paying attention. Good.” Standing proudly, almost haughty and captivating, he said, “I simply showed Epel my power. The power to compel others to do what I want. My beauty can get anyone to do my biding, just as I made all these people buy an apple juice. Of course, I used it to make him see my way, so that he focused on the VDC and dropped this rebellious nonsense. Everything I did, it was all for myself, that is all.”

“Huh, so that’s how you want to call it,” she replied, pursing her lips. Then she had the guts to laugh, covering a smile with her hand. “You’re really strange, Schoenheit-senpai.”

He could feel a headache incoming, thanks to her and her completely inappropriate reaction. She always found a way to get under his skin to his dismay and annoy him, no matter how much he mentally prepared himself.

And she would speak her mind to him because she thought her opinion was important to him.

But even if he grimaced, Ann wouldn’t wipe that smile on her face, no, in fact it had become brighter.

“You know you could have told him you would promote his family’s business if you won the VDC, right?” She looked him in the eye, a serious gaze in contrast with the warmth of her lips. “But you didn’t. You went ahead and made that post in your MagiCam. Because you are so popular, anything you promote will become successful, and you probably charge a lot to do that. But to do this for free, under the excuse as ‘doing it for yourself’, you could have done something else but you helped his village… Hehe, you are far more caring than you let on, senpai.”

Vil frowned as he returned her gaze, not wanting to lose that sudden staring contest, as looking away would give off an impression of weakness, that she had hit the nail right on the head. The last thing he needed was for her to think she understood him and his intentions or feelings. He didn’t appreciate her long tongue at all, nor that kind smile of hers, making him feel somehow exposed and annoyingly teased.

But before he could protest anything, she said, “I don’t think you want to argue with me about this, but thank you again, Schoenheit-senpai! I’m glad things got solved somehow between you and Epel, good night!” And without waiting for him to reply and rebuke her harshly, she left to her room, leaving him once more alone in the hallway.

He let out a long drawn sigh, this day had been exhausting, mentally and physically. Seriously, things could work out with less stress on him. And, even though he still mumbled about how annoying she had been, especially now with her cheeky remarks, he didn’t chase away the image of her thanking him before he went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have written some things, but given that they should take place after Pomefiore and well Pomefiore is still in progress, I haven't posted them here yet, so it is why updates are slow. I hope that the upcoming updates result in a lot of more content hehe, but meanwhile, here's a short one! Thank you for reading!


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